Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 272

Chapter 272

Elsa

Emily suddenly stepped forward from the crowd, her lips curled into a malicious smile. “Why don’t we let her make it up to you properly?” she suggested, looking at Ava with undisguised contempt. “She could take off her clothes and give them to you. After all, she’s just a nobody secretary with no real standing in the pack.”

My stomach twisted at Emily’s cruel suggestion, bile rising in my throat. I shifted my weight from one foot to another, fighting the urge to snarl. It reminded me too much of how Vera had treated me–with that same casual cruelty that privileged wolves often showed to those they considered beneath them.

Bruce cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with where things were heading. “Ladies, perhaps we should—”

“That won’t be necessary,” I heard myself say, surprised at how my voice carried across the room. All eyes suddenly turned to me, felt my cheeks flush under their collective gaze, but I forced myself to stand straighter. “I think this makes you even, actually.”

Emma’s eyes widened in shock, and I could practically hear the whispers starting.

“Even?” Emma asked incredulously. “How do you figure that, Ms. Hale?”

and I

I met her gaze steadily, my jaw clenching. “You were trying to take Drake Stone away from the card game earlier, weren’t you? Creating a scene with Ava? I’d say having wine thrown on you balances the scales.”

The room fell completely silent again. Emma’s mouth opened and closed several times before she found her voice.

“Elsa, you misunderstand,” she said, attempting

g to co

sound reasonable while her eyes flashed dangerously. “I simply wanted to speak with Drake privately about a business matter. This has nothing to do with you.”

Her dismissive tone made my skin prickle with irritation. I felt hot flush creep up my neck as my hands balled into fists at my sides.

Before I could respond, Drake’s deep voice cut through the tension. “A small misunderstanding,” he said, his tone deceptively casual as he

stepped forward. His presence immediately commanded the room’s attention, and I felt the familiar pressure of his Alpha energy washing

over everyone present.

“Ava,” Drake continued, turning to look at her, “is my cousin. And while I appreciate her protective instincts, I’m sure she’ll apologize for

her impulsive behavior.”

The revelation landed like a bomb in the quiet room. Ava Kim–Drake Stone’s cousin? I blinked in surprise, my mouth falling open slightly as I suddenly understood why she had been so comfortable placing her hand on his shoulder earlier. It wasn’t the gesture of a lover but of

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